Student protests at Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University in Sehore turned violent on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday after a bus and car were set on fire.
Demonstrations were going on in the college campus over the alleged poor quality food and water that had led to a jaundice outbreak among students. The college administration announced the closure of the campus for five days.
Paramilitary forces were deployed, and students were seen leaving the premises on Wednesday afternoon.
University registrar KK Nair clarified that no deaths had taken place. He said 22 students had been diagnosed with jaundice and were recovering at their hometowns.
“Students alleged that hundreds of their peers had fallen ill due to unhygienic food and water, with nearly 100 admitted to hospitals. They claimed that when they raised concerns, campus guards assaulted them, sparking the violent retaliation. Hundreds of students participated in the protest, setting vehicles ablaze on Tuesday night”, sub divisional officer of police Akash Amalkar said.
“The situation worsened around 3am, prompting police forces from five stations to rush to the campus and bring the violence under control”, he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The situation worsened around 3am, prompting police forces from five stations to rush to the campus and bring the violence under control”, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: On bandh eve, Panjab University’s flip-flop notices end in deferred exams
Releasing a statement on the incident, Nair confirmed that one girl and 22 boys had been diagnosed or preliminarily detected with jaundice symptoms as of November 26.
He emphasised that the number of cases had been decreasing over the past two days and dismissed reports of student deaths as baseless.
“All affected students had returned home after consulting doctors”, he said.
Health authorities, including the district medical officer, chief health and medical officer, and block medical officer, inspected the campus between November 23 and 25.
They reviewed sanitation practices, food preparation, and water quality, and expressed satisfaction with the hygiene standards.”
“Following the unrest, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nitin Tale and SDOP Akash Amalkar inspected the campus early Wednesday morning. The university has been placed on holiday until November 30, 2025. VIT Bhopal remains committed to maintaining high standards of health, hygiene, and safety, and continues to coordinate with district medical authorities to safeguard student well-being,” he added.